For as long as there has been a sense of smell, man has attempted to mask the less desirable odors of society. This is nowhere more evident than in the room deodorizer industry. There are solids, liquids, sprays and even electrically powered deodorizers, all with their own individual problems.
Except for sprays, all of the other types of deodorizers suffer serious drawbacks because they work automatically, regardless of the immediate need to mask odors or even the presence of people in the room. The solids and liquids include a fragrant chemical that slowly dissolves and releases the fragrance into the room. Unfortunately, they release the chemical all the time. If an occupant leaves the premises for an extended period of time, for example, by going on vacation, the solids and liquids continue to release their chemicals, saturating the air with the fragrance and causing the furniture and other fabrics in the premises to become impregnated by the smell. Further, once the occupant returns, he or she will not only be subjected to a much higher level of fragrance than normally desired, but will also be breathing in an unhealthy amount of the fragrance chemicals.
These solids and liquids also cause tremedous environmental waste. Not only are the chemicals constantly pumped out, but they usually come in disposable containers that become part of the waste stream, which is an ever-increasing concern.
Electric-powered deodorizers cause even greater harm in that they not only dispense an excess of fragrance, but waste valuable energy doing it, in addition to the pollution resulting from the creation of that energy.
Sprays overcome some of these problems, in that they are only used when desired by the occupant, thus avoiding any serious waste. However, sprays require that the occupant keep the bottle or can within easy reach. Also, the can or bottle from which the spray is dispensed is also usually thrown away into the waste stream. The sprays can also coat furniture with the chemicals or even coat the user.
In view of the deficiencies of the known room deodorizers, it is an object of the present invention to provide a deodorizer that will automatically dispense fragrance into a room, but only when the occupant is present.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a deodorizer that does not use any electricity or other commercial energy source.
It is another object of the invention that the deodorizer be replaceable.
It is yet another object of the invention that the deodorizer be easily and cost-effectively manufactured.
In accordance with the objects of the invention, a curtain ring is provided with a fragrance-releasing material mounted on its inner diameter. The material is selected so that the fragrance will only be released when the consumer opens or closes the curtain, that is, only when the material is rubbed against the curtain rod.